Bloomsberg is reporting that U.S. Circuit Judge Richard A. Posner has decided to order Googarola to give up its Android data based on a patent suit that Apple filed in 2010. Motorola, however, responded by stating:

"Google's employees and documents are not within the ‘possession, custody, or control' of Motorola, and Motorola cannot force Google to produce documents or witnesses over Google's objections."

Ouch! Now that didn't sit too well with the judge, so we'll see where that one goes.

Back to Judge Posner's decision, it means that Motorola Mobility and Google itself must hand over any and all information regarding Google’s pending $12.5 billion acquisition of the money losing mobile-phone maker, and as such it could give Apple a possible leg up in its legal fight against Android, which Apple considers to be a 'stolen product'. Naturally, Google and Motorola don't exactly like this one one measly little bit and will no doubt try to fight this nail-and-tooth!

"Apple scored a breakthrough court victory today against Motorola (Bloomberg was first to report). Its importance can hardly be overstated. This is so huge that it even begs the question of whether Google's strategy for its $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility has failed before the deal is even formally closed (they're still waiting for some regulatory approvals)." (emphasis mine)

"Other large companies have learned before Google that it's not a good strategy to provoke antitrust intervention on different fronts at the same time, or in short succession. Google has enough antitrust worries, and it's now buying a company that in the preliminary opinion of high-ranking German judges appears to be committing an ongoing antitrust violation.All things considered, Google as a whole may be better off by acting reasonably and cooperatively on the Android patent front.

The coming months, or years, will show how far Google is willing to go only to fight for the right to infringe third-party patents."

So, in conclusion, one can not but help ask the question: what-in-hell is Google up to anyway? Obviously, they want to stop Apple from stopping Android dead in its tracks by using its recently purchased Motorola patents as well as those from IBM, etc., but considering all of the legal setbacks that Android is now facing it seems clear to Herr Mueller, and others, that Google is basically just 'cruising for a bruising'!

And that's my 2 cents for this reasonably sunny Tuesday, March 06, 2012